Bethany survived cancer when she was just 3 years old, but succumbed to bullying at school. She ended her own life in October this year at the age of 11. The girl shot herself in the back porch of her mother’s house in Ohio, USA.
It is saddening. Bethany, as a toddler, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She underwent treatment that helped her beat the cancer. However, it damaged a few nerves, and she was left with an expression of a half smile.
Bethany tried to stop it but…
While this is not something to be bullied about, she has to deal with frequent, incessant bullying at Triad Middle School, her alma mater. A report says that she tried everything, from ignoring to fighting back, however the bullying never stopped. To make matters worse, the school knew about the bullying problem but did not do anything about it.
On the day she died, she told her friend that she could not take it anymore. She went home, found a handgun and shot herself in the backyard of her mother’s house. The friend tried calling her mother, but it was too late to rescue Bethany.
It is sad that it had to come to this. Bullying in various forms exists in almost every place of education. However, a prompt action by the authorities keeps it at bay. Sadly, Trent Middle School did not take measures soon enough, and it pushed her to take a drastic step. In a report, Bethany had made some anti-bullying posters. However, a school administrator told her not to put them up as they were not ‘sufficiently positive.’
What could be done about this malice? Read on to find out.
What should parents do to stop bullying
The discussion about what went wrong is warranted. However, it is also necessary to be sensitive about the tragedy. So without discussing what could have been done better, I will try to focus of what could be done to prevent such situations.
If you ever feel that your kid is being bullied at school, you need to look into the matter as soon as possible. In the earlier days, the bullying used to stop at school. However, due to the internet, it continues even afterwards. The anonymity of the internet encourages kids to engage in cyberbullying.
Bullies target the oddities: if your kid is too thin, obese, tall, short, good at something or bad at it, he may have encountered some sort of bullying. Not all bullies are into it though. A few others just end up bullying the oddities to avoid getting bullied themselves. This is an important thing to remember.
So if you find sudden mood changes in your child, if he is being secretive about anything, ask patiently if he is being bullied. Give him some time to answer. If he is, you need to do these things:
- Contact the school authorities. Ensure that you have specific information: the person who bullies, the context and even type of bullying. Do not take this matter lightly as the bullying does not make your kid tough: it breaks a part of him.
- Reach out to the parents of the bully. Many times, this may not work as bullies are often a reflection of the parents. However, if the child who bullies your kid is is doing so under peer pressure, it may just stop.
- Encourage your kid to be in a group. A child getting bullied is less likely if he is a part of a group. However, ensure that the group itself does not bully other kids!
- Explain the concept of ‘power’ to your kid. Tell him that he has the true power of not getting affected by bullying. Bullies keep on pushing the soft targets. However, they may not trouble your kid if he puts up a brave face.
Bullying is very different nowadays than what it used to be when we were growing up. Don’t let your kid suffer alone. Let’s make things better for him by taking action against bullying. #IAmBethany.
(Story and image sources: CNN.com, Independent.co.uk)
Also read: Punishing bullies might not be the best way to stop bullying
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